Creative Europe MEDIA
Training Guide

The CICAE Arthouse Cinema Training and Mentoring Programme (ACT) is the evolution of the until now called “Art Cinema = Action + Management” programme, an international residential training programme for arthouse exhibitors, taking place in Venice.

With ACT the junior and executive training will be divided: a one-week intensive residential training in Venice for 35 participants who will take part in the workshop “Re-Start your cinema” and which programme will cover essential topics related to the 360° of arthouse exhibition; and a mentoring programme for 15 senior arthouse exhibitors throughout 6 months, who will follow one of the 3 lines of development: Be Diverse: diversity in film programming and film circulation; Be Green: green cinema development; Be Innovative: new business models and innovative projects.

The ATELIER LUDWIGSBURG-PARIS is a one-year full-time continuous training program to enhance competitiveness of the European film industry. The program is organized by Filmakademie Baden-Württemberg in Ludwigsburg and La Fémis in Paris. The up to 18 participants are post graduates in equal parts from Germany, France and around the world up to around 30 years old, and form a class of future producers and distributors, every year. The curriculum covers all stages in the making of audiovisual projects: script and project development, financing, production, distribution and marketing for the global film industry. The teachers are all currently active in the European Film Industry and beyond. Learning objectives is a wide-ranging understanding of all aspects of the film business via theoretical and practical study units. The rate of graduates finding work in the Audiovisual Market has reached almost 100% in the previous years which proves the excellence and resulting reputation of the ATELIER LUDWIGSBURG-PARIS as post graduate training program. The program begins in Ludwigsburg, from there it moves to Paris, and in February all participants attend the Berlinale Film Festival. Then, they go to London for a session with the NFTS (National Film and Television School), before coming back to Ludwigsburg for the 2nd session. Followed by an internship with a European distribution company, before participants return to La Fémis for their May session. The program includes longer visits to film festivals such as Clermont-Ferrand, Berlin and Cannes. As a final project, the up to 18 participants produce a series of short films in international pairs either in Ludwigsburg or in Paris. The films are co-produced and broadcast by SWR/ARTE.

Berlinale Talents is the Berlin International Film Festival’s talent development programme for 200 emerging filmmakers and series creators from all over the worldthat explores the how and why of movie making. Since 2003, it has grown to become a one-of-a-kind forum for film professionals and cinema lovers alike, featuring public talks, discipline-specific workshops, project development Labs and networking events. While the Berlinale sections showcase films in all their facets and the European Film Market is the festival's most vibrant business hub, our focus is creative people and how they see the world through a different lens.Berlinale Talents is aimed at emerging film actors, audience designers (i.e. curators,cinema or festival makers), composers, cinematographers, directors, distributors, editors, film critics, producers, production designers, sales agents, screenwriters, sound designers and, new for 2023, digital set designers with an existing portfolio of work.

CAR­TOON is an inter­na­tion­al non-prof­it asso­ci­a­tion based in Brus­sels. CARTOON’s remit is to sup­port the ani­ma­tion indus­try by organ­is­ing sev­er­al types of events through­out the year ded­i­cat­ed to ani­ma­tion professionals.

CEE Animation Workshop (CEE AW) is a year-long programme to develop projects and enhance producers skills in animation. It is primarily aimed at participants from countries with low production capacity, in particular from the CEE region. The programme also invites other EU producers to apply if they have a proven link or interest in working with the CEE region or the LCC. The objective is to improve the competences of CEE animation professionals and give them equal access to financing and market as their Western peers, by encouraging co-productions and sustainable new business models. The CEE Animation Workshop is tailored to the needs of producers and their creative teams who have animation projects of any format (short films, TV, feature films, hybrid films, XR) in development. It is open to career-oriented film professionals who want to develop a long-term strategy for their business with a focus on animation. Each year CEE AW trains 12 projects with teams of 2 or 3 members and up to 4 participants without a project. The 2022 edition of CEE AW consists of 4 modules; 3 online and 1 on-site in Poland. The programme is structured as a combination of group and individual work, masterclasses, panels and case studies. Practical focus is on making significant progress in developing scripts, visuals and production packages. The workshop culminates in a final one-on-one presentation of a full production package and pitch to a carefully selected group of industry players. CEE AW builds on the experience of the previous successful three-year programme supported by MEDIA, which is now in its final phase. CEE AW is led by regional animation professionals with a broad network and knowledge of the CEE market. We work within the framework of the CEE Animation network (for 9 years), which connects producers' associations, studios, regional festivals and funding bodies, with the aim of increasing skills and competitiveness and strengthening animation producers from the CEE region.

Exclusive training program for female-identifying documentary filmmakers who are seeking support to develop their films and professional skills. CIRCLE is designed both for talented directors and producers who are in the process of developing their first feature-length documentary, as well as the more experienced authors, who will be given the opportunity to further improve their skills and develop their projects. The program is implemented on annual level through three modules with main focuses: Module 1: in-depth analysis of the project; Module 2: project packaging; Module 3: networking within When East Meets West Co-Pro Forum.

CPH:LAB is CPH:DOX’s talent development programme that encourages creative risk taking, facilitates collaboration across borders and business sectors and supports visionaries to push the existing boundaries of documentary filmmaking. Since 2009 the lab has established itself as a highly acknowledged, ambitious and yet playful laboratory-style talent scheme, conceived as an incubator for documentary projects that seek to explore the potential of digital technologies and advance new visions of what a documentary can be in a digital age. It offers a space for experimentation and collaboration in interdisciplinary creative partnerships across film, art, science, technology and social entrepreneurship. In this perspective, the overall objective of CPH:LAB is to stimulate innovation within the European audio visual industry, equip storytellers to navigate the changing media landscape, and empower creative talents across Europe to take ownership of digital technologies and active part in the digital shift.

On the Creative Simulation Technologies course, participants will learn how to master the art and science of simulations in the Houdini-certified, full-time course taught by active specialists from the VFX industry. Topics include fluid simulations, rigid body work, Pyro dynamics, GPU rendering, and interactive, real-time graphics.

"Developing an Animated TV Special and TV Series: scriptwriting and concept development" is aimed at developing audiovisual projects for young audiences. The projects are all adapted from children’s books.This 11-week module covers two parts: the first focuses on concept development and screenwriting for a TV special, and the second focuses on concept development and screenwriting for a TV/Web series concept. During the 11-week period, course participants also attend the Annecy International Animation Film Festival (France) and market (MIFA). Participants work in groups of three or four writers and directors, and together they pitch their projects at the end of the module to a panel of 50 European experts. The guest teachers are all working professionals from across the animation industry, covering screenwriters, directors, producers, broadcasters and publishing houses.The training course is run in partnership with The Animation Workshop, the animation school in Viborg, in Denmark.

dok.incubator is an 8-month-long workshop for high-quality documentary films in the rough cut stage, projects with the ambition to target a wide European audience and US distribution. It is based on individual tutoring of the whole creative teams (director, editor, producer) which under the supervision of experienced editors, producers, sales agents, PR and marketing experts conclude the strongest possible dramaturgy of the final cut and learn how to build a clever distribution and marketing strategy.

The workshop aims to support high-quality documentaries to break into the international market and meet a worldwide audience.

In 2021 our special focus has been on helping the projects succeed in the international market taking place mostly online, orientate themselves within the global competition, and plan clever distribution strategies. We focused on preparing an interactive and creative marketing strategy to reach the international audience and not to get lost without a festival theatre live premiere.

Workshop structure:

EDITING

Screenings and dramaturgical analysis of the participation projects, intensive editing sessions focused on the international potential of rough cuts. Teams work on positioning their film on the market - develop unique selling points, define keywords, target the audience and prepare first drafts of films' marketing strategies;

TRAILER, MARKETING, AND DISTRIBUTION

First test screenings in the presence of global industry decision-makers, who give feedback on the narrative structure, release strategy, and the sale potential of the films. The participants design a detailed distribution plan and finalize marketing outcomes;

FINAL PACKAGE, PRESENTATION

An exclusive presentation of the films in the frame of an exclusive event held for the first time online, followed by individual meetings with key European and US broadcasters, sales, festival selectors, and distributors. Discussing the future steps of the projects, their sales and festival possibilities, and concrete offers.

Parallel to the international program dok.incubator involving 37 film professionals we organized similar regional workshops for 18 Czech And 14 Slovak filmmakers with the aim to spread the know-how also to less advanced professionals mainly from the low production capacity countries.

We also organized seminars for 45 film school students from 4 countries and 16 professionals at open sessions.

A five-days immersive Audience-focused workshop exploring 360º film marketing by gaining insight about the classic tools and the latest trends in Digital PR, social media management, digital marketing and Audience building.

The EAVE Producers Workshop (PW) is aimed at producers (fiction, documentary, TV series, new media) who wish to operate at European level by increasing their knowledge of co-producing and joining a pan-European professional network. Applications from associated branches of the industry are also welcome. Each year some 56 participants take part in 3 one-week-long workshops. Half of them attend with projects in development on which they will work during the year. During the first 2 workshops, participants work in groups led by experienced producers on script analysis, development and production financing, legal aspects of co-production, marketing, pitching, packaging etc. In workshop 3, they are joined by over 90 decision makers to discuss their projects, companies and careers, establish long-term business relationships across the value chain.

PUENTES Europe - Latin America Co-Production Workshop is a project-based year-long training programme including two 5-day residential workshops and a market module at Ventana Sur.

PUENTES brings together producers from Latin America and Europe around the same table to discuss common co-production projects and facilitates access to the respective markets. It combines, on the one hand, a reliable group of cross-cultural high-level experts and decision makers and, on the other hand, a group of participants who are key players in the Latin American and European markets. The core focus of the workshop is the development of feature-film projects by experienced Latin American and European producers. PUENTES creates a safe space for discussion and the exchange of experiences, where the participants can share insights into their industries with colleagues from other regions.

Furthermore, PUENTES is also open for other European professionals from the whole value chain, such as sales agents, financiers, distributors, festival programmers and co-production market representatives who are interested in collaborating and working with Latin America, and who wish to focus on their career development during the workshop.

In the 14 years of its existence, PUENTES has become the most relevant and successful training programme for developing European-Latin American co-productions, with exceptionally good results in terms of sales and distribution and festival exposure: 82.5% of the finalised projects developed at PUENTES get an international sales agent on board and 70% of the projects have a successful festival exposure.

Ties That Bind brings together Asian and European producers with feature film projects and related professionals during two workshops, guided by top-level Asian and European industry professionals.

An intensive four day workshop event for independent producers with a solid track record and international experience reinforcing their managerial and financial capacity to compete successfully in European and global markets and to run sustainable companies.

EMERGING PRODUCERS is a training programme designed for the up-and-coming producers of documentary films in Europe. The programme facilitates personal and professional skills development, with a special emphasis put on the role of producers in today’s film industry environment. It focuses on promoting talented European producers, introducing them to the international film market, and on creating a new network of film professionals with the aim to increase the potential of European co-productions.

ESoDoc - European Social Documentary is an 8-months long training initiative for media professionals who want to improve their storytelling and co-creative skills, to broaden the potential of their documentary and new media project gaining access to a larger market.

ESoDoc wants to strengthen the ability for innovative and audience-centered documentary and new media storytelling, so you can be a creative and active part in the evolving market dynamics and respond to the trends in ground-breaking, collaborative and interdisciplinary ways.

ESSENTIAL LEGAL FRAMEWORK (ELF) is a long-running training series featuring residential workshops, online courses (eTraining) and from 2022 on, compact online seminars. The training equips audiovisual professionals with crucial skills and competences with an emphasis on legal and business aspects. The training activities offer relevant topics, hands-on information, acclaimed experts and valuable networking, employing a variety of formats and methodologies.

EURODOC is an observatory of, and a in depth training program in creative documentary production. Today, EURODOC is a strong and active network of more than 1,300 members from 60 countries worldwide.

The primary mission of EURODOC is the organization of a yearly training program for producers with a creative documentary project at the development stage. The training is organized in 3 one-week sessions spread over 8 months.

The training is mainly addressed to European professionals working in the field of documentary production. The main objective is to improve their knowledge in terms of European and more largely international co-production, reinforcing their skills and putting them in contact with the large network of graduates and experts that in the 23 years of its existence, have been participating in EURODOC’s activities.

Since its creation in 1999, EURODOC provides constant updates on creative documentary, its production and co-production in order to understand the needs of the industry and provide support in a steadily transforming system.

We recommend the 2-day online Ideation Camp on September 27th and 28th, 2022 as a perfect preparation for the Prototyping Lab (no contribution fee).

From IMMERSIVE STORYTELLING to DEVELOPMENT, from IDEATION to PROTOTYPING to PRODUCTION and DISTRIBUTION – pick your opportunity that meets best your – or your project‘s – needs and join us online and on-site in Munich and Leipzig. The EUROPEAN CREATORS' LAB is unique in its methodology, approach and implementation. We prepare an inspiring, protected and non-competitive space for creatives in the deep conviction that innovation thrives best in a multi-disciplinary environment. Learn how to master the new grammar of immersive storytelling. Ideate and develop a project with fellow participants from all over Europe and share your professional insights as an artist, a creator, a creative. Benefit from our alumni network and become part of the European XR family!

Whether narrative, or industrial - no matter what industry you or your company are developing for, we all face the same challenges: the paradigm shift from frame to world, from square to sphere, from linear to interactive, and from creator-perspective to audience-/customer centricity. In our Prototyping Lab, we work across disciplines and industries, focusing on production processes, business models, scalability and distribution. Together we work on ideas for the medium and the markets of the future.

The 5-day Lab offers an intensive knowledge exchange, masterclasses, practical workshops, One2One meetings with international mentors, ideation and prototyping in teams, keynotes and case studies. The programme is packed with inspiration and best practice. Our goal is to give you a more comprehensive picture of immersive experiences and a holistic understanding from content development to production, distribution and sales.

THE BOOSTER is an intensive training led by international experts to improve pitch and presentation, get the latest insights & trends for the XR contents, industry, and market, be at the forefront of the XR technologies, and learn how to develop and finance an XR project. Training leads are Sylvain Grain (Stereopsia EUROPE) and Astrid Kahmke (European Creators’ Lab).

THE BOOSTER will consist of online masterclasses with expert mentors (10-14.10.2022) and participation in Stereopsia EUROPE in Brussels (17-19.10.2022), including B2B meetings and pitch presentation of the projects to a jury of potential partners, co-producers, distributors, and film funds. Participants will get the opportunity to create new business networks by participating in networking meetings, and compete for the Booster Award, which will be given to the winner during the Awards Ceremony of Stereopsia EUROPE, held on 19 October 2022.

This 3-day lab is for professionals from all creative and artistic backgrounds, who are interested in expanding, updating and deepen their knowledge in the field of immersive storytelling. We give you an overview of the state of the art, talk about important award-winning experiences and ground-breaking experiments, and invite mentors to share their expertise and knowledge.

The European Showrunner Programme (ESP) is truly unique in its content and scope. The programme consists of two elements:

Training and Mentoring: The European Showrunner Training is a part-time training and mentoring programme. It is designed for experienced European series writers and offers comprehensive insights and featuring key skills for showrunners in Europe.

Industry Events: The European Showrunner Think Tank is a series of industry panels – both online and at major industry events – which provides a platform for exchange and discussion aiming to further develop, define and eventually establish the showrunner approach in Europe.

ESP is co-funded by the Creative Europe MEDIA Programme of the European Union and the Film- und Medienstiftung NRW. Industry Partners are Netflix and Series Mania.

The EWA Network’s Producers’ Mentoring Scheme proposes a career enhancement programme for 16 female independent audiovisual producers and runs over 10 months. Launched in 2018, it allows mentees to upgrade the core skills and competencies needed in their profession such as financing, negotiating, management and business development. It is aimed at female producers established in Europe, with a proven experience of at least five years in audiovisual production and who are motivated to grow professionally, acquire new skills and evolve in the European audiovisual industry.The mentoring scheme is an exclusive programme specifically aimed at women producers who have already experience at the national level and wish to evolve further to a European/international dimension.

Do you have an idea for a documentary project that is in development or early production stage? Make sure that your synopsis, trailer, and presentation skills gain the attention of the most demanding decision makers and succeed internationally. Within one year, three week-long sessions provide you with intensive cooperation and consultations with internationally renowned experts. Learn more about legal issues, international co-productions, and different forms of promotion and distribution while getting feedback, contacts and further support for your project.

FeatureLab focuses on artistic and creative aspects as well as on production and promotion strategies in the development of 1st and 2nd feature films. It is addressed to teams of director and producer (together with a scriptwriter, if on board), working on projects that are already at an advanced stage. The programme takes place over a period of 6 months.

10 projects are selected to benefit from individually tailored tools. Each film team has several individual encounters with various trainers, who are internationally experienced in the main areas of filmmaking: alongside having script consultations, the participants work with experts from the fields of directing, cinematography, sound, post-production, but also of production, financing & sales, and audience engagement. The diversity of approaches and the enriching experience that comes as a result of the exchange with other colleagues help the teams to boost the project development process throughout their participation in the programme.

FIRST FILMS FIRST is an intensive professional training program aimed at supporting young Southeast European film directors to develop their first feature-length fiction film.

FIRST FILMS FIRST consists of 4 modules, over a period of one year, which allow the participants to develop their first feature film project, step-by-step, through different phases of project development.

Green Film Lab aims at training European film professionals on green practices in film production, on how to apply a green protocol and get a certification.

Along the year, Green Film Lab proposes a number of 3-day workshops held in different European regions, addressed to film industry professionals with or without a project, as well as to green managers.

Through a practical, project-based and hands-on approach, participants learn how to apply the current best practices in terms of energy-saving, transport, accommodation, catering, set decoration, waste management, recycling and communication.

The Aim of eQuinoxe Europe is to support the development and production potential of strong, culturally and linguistically diverse screenplays for an international audience.

The International Screenwriters Workshop is a short-term, 7-day, residential screenwriting training program with the aim of facilitating the filmmakers' creative process to develop the most compelling story and script. Our comprehensive program includes the producers' attendance the last 2,5 days and a follow-up consultation on the obligatory rewrite.

eQuinoxe Europe has held 26 Intl. Screenwriters´ Workshops, 36 Master Classes and numerous Salons - Readings, Screenings, In Conversations and Panel Discussions for the European film industry since 2002 in 23 locations in Europe, India and Australia.

LIM - Less Is More - training action was launched in 2016. Created by Le Groupe Ouest (France) and its Romanian partners (Control N and TIFF), with the support of its founding partners, Flanders Audiovisual Fund (Belgium) and Krakow Festival Film Office (Poland), LIM is European in essence. Its aim is to help filmmakers to fully integrate limitation as a

constraint from the beginning of the script development process to jump into the feature film adventure through the prism of limited budget production. The scheme is open to 1st to 3rd feature film projects as well as to talents coming from virtual arts, theatre, documentary and web video creators. 16 writers or writer-directors and 12 emerging producers are selected each year from all over Europe. Supervised by script consultants, from March to October, they attend 3 one-week workshops set in villages in 3 different countries of Europe. After the second workshop, a two-day meeting event is organised for participants to meet a wide scope of industry professionals (producers, sales agents...) in order to boost project development. Parallel to the development training program, LIM organises “Pre-Writing” workshops for its national partners. On their ground, LIM trains young filmmakers to find their own narrative voices and to enable their international outlook. The training methodology is based on Le Groupe Ouest’s 15 years' experience. The coaching is both collective and intimate to explore the singularity of each project. Specific tools have been

developed to stimulate the creation process. More than just a training program, LIM is now also acting as a laboratory exploring new approaches to screenwriting. Since 2019, LIM created the StoryTANK, a European Think Tank fully dedicated on storytelling. All the videos of the interviews and brainstorming sessions with screenwriters, storytellers and researchers (from different fields) are broadcast throughout the year on the StoryTANK Youtube channel and website.

With the perfect mix of workshops, webinars, pitches and extensive networking opportunities, the prestigious Masterschool is a one-stop-shop for non-fiction projects of all media looking for a boost in the European market. The Masterschool offers 10 months of hands-on training and development from international experts. You will be carefully matched 1-on-1 with industry specialists, who will assist in developing, financing and marketing your documentary for public release, whether on the traditional TV market or on new digital platforms. In addition to strengthening your project, the Masterschool provides invaluable wisdom and contacts to fuel your production company for all future endeavours.

MIDPOINT Feature Launch is project, script and skills development program with networking platform for directorial debuts or second features. The core is dedicated to 9 teams of writer and/or director and also to 3 aspiring script consultants who follow the whole script development process.

MIDPOINT Series Launch is as an “idea-to-market” project and skills development program

spanning over 7 months. The program is dedicated to 9 teams of writer/s and producer/s, potentially a director, with long-form series projects in development and also 3 development executive participants (DEs) who follow the whole development training.

NEXT STEPS is a training series designed specifically to diversify European audiovisual companies and help them adopt the opportunities of digitization and master a cultural shift within by tackling underrepresentation of marginalized groups. This is achieved through enhancing the skills of two target groups: female audiovisual professionals as well as the hiring managers in the companies. By equipping the women with new skills, knowledge and networks, and by offering hiring managers training in diversity management, the program aims at tackling underrepresentation in the audiovisual industry in general. In 2022, NEXT STEPS consists of two year-long training programs: Audiovisual Women and Series’ Women.

Audiovisual Women is designed for 15 female professionals in mid- to senior-level management working across the value chain in the European audiovisual industry and 15 hiring managers. The interdisciplinary program offers advanced training in digital leadership, managing innovation and digital change, networking as well as exclusive 1-1 coaching.

Series’ Women is designed for 15 mid- to senior-level female producers of European drama series with at least one unfinished drama series project and 15 hirings managers. The program offers compact industry updates, training in visibility and digital entrepreneurship, access to top industry markets and project pitching, networking as well as exclusive 1-1 mentoring.

The highly interactive programs offer a hand-picked mix of intensive training, innovative learning, coaching, pitching, mentoring and networking opportunities, tailor-made to the needs of each program. Through this curated approach, NEXT STEPS enables a significant increase in industry exposure and business opportunities for the female professionals, their companies and projects. By supporting selected female professionals directly, NEXT STEPS sets off to increase the visibility of female professionals and female-driven projects in the industry in general.

ScriptLab – story editing is a hands-on training for film professionals who want to work with writers and directors in the development stage of their fiction feature film projects. The aim of the programme is to provide an insight into the development process of a feature film – focusing on the early scriptwriting stage.

Each of the 5 selected participants joins a specific group, which involves 4 projects and is guided by a tutor with a wide international experience as a script consultant, who acts as a mentor to the story editor trainee.

The story editor trainees acquire skills in the fields of treatment and script analysis, assessment of project development and script consulting. More concretely, they gain insight and training in working with writers, from an idea up to a professional draft of the script, helping them find the core of their story and encouraging a script loyal to the intention of the writer and/or director.

SERIAL EYES, Europe’s premier postgraduate training programme in serials development, prepares the next generation of European TV writers and emerging showrunners to bring 1st-class serialized storytelling to TV screens across the continent and beyond.

SeriesLab is aimed at developing innovative and high-profile international TV series projects and stands out for involving all the main players involved in TV series production – scriptwriters, producers and TV broadcasters – and for offering a close link between scriptwriting process and TV industry.

The lab follows the entire process of creation of a TV series concept, offering the support of highly qualified tutors and story editors in generating ideas and structuring the material, up to a final presentation in front of a selection of the major key players of the international TV industry, from a special event organized by TorinoFilmLab in conjunction with one of the main European TV series markets.

The programme provides the participants with an intensive 5-month career development training, plus a final presentation in one of the main European TV markets in 2023.

During the training, the participants will work to enhance their writing skills and to experience the work done in a real writers’ room. TFL Series – Talents has an unrivalled approach to hands-on, in a real-world environment. Writers will receive the screenwriting tools and creative confidence necessary to create and write dram series of their own.

The intensive educational course for novice creators of stop-motion animation – StopMoLab created by the Polish Momakin starts in April 2022 and will last 9 months. It will be a time of intense work and learning under the watchful eye of world-class specialists and professionals who are daily associated with such productions as "Corpse Bride", "My Life as a Zucchini" or "The Red Turtle".

The program is exclusive with only 25 places, for 5 people of each profession: animators, puppet makers, production managers, art directors and screenwriters. SKILLS, BUSINESS and GO GREEN are three keywords and, at the same time, modules to which the program is subordinated. Improving your skills, discovering new trends, business models and the topic of pro-ecological activities are the most important directions in the development of the animation industry.

StopMoLab is a response to the needs of young creators who needs support when entering the labour market. The training is designed to teach them a business approach to the profession and to be a kind of signpost in the answer to the question "What next after graduating from film school?". The Program Board is responsible for the program, which includes such masters as Francesca Berlingieri Maxwell (known, among others, from "Corpse Bride", "ParaNorman" or "Fantastic Mr. Fox"), Denis Walgenwitz (associated with such productions as an Oscar nominated "The Red Turtle", "My Life as a Zucchini" or " Despicable Me"), Angela Poshet (working on such films as "Isle of Dogs" or Oscar-nominated "Frankenweenie") or Tim Allen and Magdalena Bieszczak (both of whom are currently working on "Pinocchio" set directed by Guillermo del Toro).

There is a plentiful offer across Europe dedicated to green producing, however, to get to carbon zero as an industry we need to apply these standards to every aspect of our industry and that means looking at all the businesses and sectors operating within it. No film/TV series will be truly carbon zero until the businesses and people involved across the whole process and value chain are operating sustainably. The current pandemic has triggered and enabled a re-evaluation of how we work and collaborate, therefore we are introducing social sustainability into the mix. Other industries, e.g. fashion and food production, consider fair treatment & pay and sustainable working conditions as an integral part of the sustainability discussion and so does the International Screen Institute.

Europa Distribution is the European Network of Independent Film Publishers and Distributors. Our membership is composed of 116 distribution companies originating from 24 European and 6 non-European countries. The main purpose is to create learning spaces where distributors can exchange, grow experience and gather new skills and tools, whatever their role (management, marketing, sales, VoD...), in order to fully exploit the creative and commercial potential of European films, reaching larger audiences. For 16 years, our diverse activities have offered to independent distributors good practices and knowledge’s sharing with diverse professionals. For this specific project, we propose an exchange programme in film marketing, a mentorship programme for young women, and two workshops: one dedicated to managers to increase their skills in interpersonal communication and team management, and the other an innovation hub with a specific focus on distribution. We will also organise an online roundtable to share good practices, gain knowledge and create a toolbox to support distributors reaching greener fields. These events will gather around 120 distributors, (not mandatorily members of the network), and an additional 30 professionals who will attend the public session of the Innovation Hub. To create impact beyond participants, 5 articles summarising each activity will be published on our blog and Cineuropa’s website and social networks, and 3 detailed reports will be made available to the participants of the 2 workshops and the roundtable, and to all the employees of the Europa Distribution Network’s members. These various activities will allow us to address essential needs when it comes to independent distributors: to exchange with peers to increase knowledge and skills when it comes to releasing films in cinemas and online in fast evolving and competitive markets, and, even more today, to remain resilient following the impact of the coronavirus pandemic on the film sector

Strengthening independent producers, ACE Producers uses the power of the ACE Network’s collective knowledge to tackle the challenges and seize the opportunities in an ever-changing industry. ACE Producers is Europe’s premier network of successful producers from Europe and beyond. Membership is based on professionalism, mutual trust, collaboration, sharing and forward thinking. Each year, 18 new experienced producers are accepted into the ACE Network after completing the ACE Annual Programme of executive education. It consists of three workshops emphasising the key position and unique responsibilities of the producer throughout the whole process of making a film: development, financing, production, marketing and distribution. Experienced independent producers apply with a live action feature film project in development that is suitable for co-production and aimed at the international market. As a response of the growing need for producers to adapt their companies to the changing needs of the international audio-visual market, ACE has introduced the ACE Specials, three stand-alone workshops for experienced producers aiming to transform and developing their companies. The ACE Series Special and the ACE Animation Special focus on the challenges of integrating series and animation production to the profile of existing film production companies, and the aim of the ACE Leadership Special is to encourage and nurture successful, business acumen within the film industry, and equip participants with competence and confidence to provide effective leadership to their businesses and to be a master of change. Founded in 1993, ACE Producers is proud to count more than 250 active producers from more than 45 countries to the ACE Network where annual activities include the ACE Annual Reunion, networking at international festivals and markets, the ACE Insight online sessions with masterclasses and consultancy sessions, and the ACE Mentoring Programme.

Script development programme for writer/directors or teams of writer and director with a fiction feature film script at an early stage of development. Throughout the year the projects, which in general begin the programme in a treatment stage, are developed through the enriching experience of sharing this creative stage of the writing process with the other filmmakers in the group.